Why Drew Brees Can Thank Matt Flynn for 2011 NFL MVP Award

Two of the National Football League's most prolific offenses put on shows in Week 17, as the Green Bay Packers defeated the Detroit Lions 45-41 while the New Orleans Saints rolled over the Carolina Panthers 45-17.

For the Saints, it was just another day at the office as quarterback Drew Brees racked up 396 more passing yards to raise his NFL single-season record total to a mind-boggling 5,476 yards, while throwing five touchdown passes for the third time this year and setting single-season records for completions and completion percentage.

The Packers victory was even more remarkable, as it was backup Matt Flynn—not resting starter Aaron Rodgers—who threw for a franchise record 480 yards and six touchdowns in a game in which the opposing quarterbacks combined for exactly 1,000 passing yards.

Until a few weeks ago, Rodgers—with his 4,600 passing yards, 45 touchdown passes and only six interceptions—was the presumptive favorite to be named the league's Most Valuable Player. However, Drew Brees had been gaining momentum after breaking Dan Marino's single-season yardage record, and the pendulum may have swung even farther today.

Not only did Brees once again look fantastic in setting a few more NFL records, but Flynn's monster outing, rightly or wrongly, places the seed in voters' minds that any competent quarterback can stand under center for the offensive juggernaut in Green Bay and put up huge numbers.

That seed could cost Rodgers some support. While the seven-year veteran may well be deserving of the award, if the NFL MVP trophy ends up in the hands of Drew Brees then the 11-year pro should likely send Matt Flynn a fruit basket, as Flynn's huge afternoon may have had a hand in tipping the scales.